Apparatus for feeding work to a grinder wheel

ABSTRACT

A pneumatically inflatable bag is positioned on a work supporting plate for advancing a work piece against a grinding wheel. The bag is backed by a plate on the work supporting plate which prevents the bag from movement away from the grinding wheel.

United States Patent Bair 1 Mar. 14, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR FEEDINGWORK To 3,369,328 2/ 1968 Freerks ..5l/240 R A GRINDER WHEEL 2,441,1085/1948 Turner..... 3,290,831 12/1966 Laube [72] Inventor: James G. Barr,Wexford, Pa. [921491 5,1940 Tomannm [73] Assignee: Fox Grinders, Inc.,Pittsburgh, Pa, 3,176,439 4/1965 Gabriel ..51/237 R [221 Filed 1970Primary Examiner-Donald G. Kelly [211 App]. No.: 78,799Attorney-Buell,Blenko&Ziesenheim 57 ABSTRACT [52] U.S.Cl. ..51/215 R 151 int. Cl. .324! 41/06, B24b 47/20 A pneumatically inflatable g isPositioned on a work p- [58] Field oisearch ..51/215 R, 215 CP, 215 HM,216 R, porting plate for advancing a work piece against a grinding51/216 LP, 216 T, 165.9, 165.77, 237 R, 240 R; wheel. The bag is backedby a plate on the work supporting 269/20, 22 plate which prevents thebag from movement away from the grinding wheel. [56] References Cited 5Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,277,559 3/1942 Pizzino..5l/l65.77 X

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WORK TO A GRINDER WHEEL This invention relates toan apparatus for feeding work to a grinder wheel by pneumatic pressureapplied to an inflatable bag which urges the work against the wheel.

in foundries molten metal is poured in a sand mold to form a casting. informing the casting there are metal risers on the casting which must beremoved. This is done either by sawing the unwanted metal or grindingit'from the casting, or a combination of both. The operation is known ascleaning the casting. The grinding is done by manually advancing thecasting into the grinder wheel. It is known that operating in thisfashion an operator is only able to remove about 25 pounds of metal perhour and with a result of great operator fatigue l have invented anapparatus for feeding work to a grinder in which 125 pounds of metal perhour can be removed, thereby reducing the time for grinding risers fromthe casting to one fifth of the time required by feeding the casting tothe grinder manually. An operator is still used but the improvedapparatus for feeding the work to the work to the grinder wheel greatlyenhances the removal and the operator acts primarily as an operator ofthe feeding apparatus.

I provide an apparatus for feeding work to a grinder wheel whichcomprises a work supporting plate positioned adjacent to the grinderwheel and perpendicular to a grinding surface of the wheel, apneumatically inflatable bag positioned on the work supporting plate andspaced from an edge of the work supporting plate nearest the grinderwheel to allow a work piece to rest between the grinder wheel surfaceand the inflatable bag, means supplying air to inflate the bag, andmeans preventing the bag from moving away from the grinder wheel whenthe bag urges the work to the grinder wheel.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will beapparent from the following description of a present preferredembodiment and a present preferred method of practicing the same.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown a present preferred embodimentof the invention and have illustrated a present preferred method ofpracticing it in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG 4 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3.

The apparatus comprises a work supporting plate 2 positioned adjacent toa grinder wheel 4 and perpendicular to a grinding surface 6 of the wheel4. A pneumatically inflatable bag 8 preferably of elastomer materialsuch as rubber is positioned on the work supporting plate 2 and isspaced from an edge 10 of the work supporting plate 2 nearest thegrinder wheel 4 to allow the casting 30 with the riser to be insertedbetween the grinding surface 6 and the bag 8 when it is deflated. An aircompressor 12 supplies air through tubes 14 and 16 to the pneumaticallyinflatable bag 8. An air valve 18 is controlled by a switch 20 locatedconveniently below the work supporting plate 2 at knee level forcontrolling the air pressure to the bag 8. When the knee is notdepressing switch 20, the bag 8 becomes deflated. A back up plate 22 incombination with clamps 24 secured to the work supporting plate 2prevent the pneumatically inflatable bag 8 from moving away from thegrinder wheel when the bag 8 is inflated against the casting ad vancingit to the grinding surface 6. The back up plate 22 is perpendicular tothe work supporting plate 2. The pneumatically inflatable bag 8 issecured to the back up plate 22 by bolts 23 through lugs 26. Thedistance between the back up plate 22 and the grinder wheel 4 can bevaried by unthreading the screws 28 which hold the clamps 24 securingthe back up the clamps 22 and repositioning the back up plate 22 toallow for varying sizes of castings.

In operation a casting 30 having a riser is urged against the grindingwheel surface 6 by an operator opening the air valve 18 by depressingthe switch 20 with: his knee. The pneumatically inflatable bag 8 urgesand advances the work 30 (casting) against the grinder wheel surface 6.To remove or to reposition the casting 30 against the grinding wheelsurface 6, the operator releases the knee switch 20 and the air isallowed to escape from the pneumatically inflatable bag 8 whereby thebag 8 is collapsed and the casting 30 can be repositioned freely.Another advantage in using the inflatable bag 8 is that it can apply auniform pressure against a casting having an irregular contour. Thisuniform pressure cannot be accomplished by using a rigid member foradvancing the work against the grinder wheel surface 6.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for feeding work to a grinder wheel which comprises:

a. a grinder wheel;

b. a work supporting plate positioned adjacent to the grinder wheel andperpendicular to a grinding surface of the wheel;

c. a pneumatically inflatable bag positioned on the work supportingplate and spaced from an edge of the work supporting plate nearest thegrinder wheel;

d. means supplying air to inflate the bag; and

e. means preventing the bag from; moving away from the grinder wheelwhen the bag urges the work to the grinder wheel.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the means preventing thebag from moving away from the grinder wheel includes a plateperpendicular to the supporting plate.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the means supplying airincludes a control valve switch located below the work supporting plate.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the means preventing thebag from moving away from the grinder includes means adjustably securingthe plate on the supporting plate.

5. An apparatus for feeding work to a grinder wheel which comprises:

a. a grinder wheel;

b. a work supporting plate positioned adjacent to the grinder wheel andperpendicular to a grinding surface of the wheel;

c. an inflatable bag positioned on the work supporting plate and spacedfrom an edge of the work supporting plate nearest the grinder wheel;

d. means supplying inflating material to inflate the bag; and

e. means preventing the bag from moving away from the grinder wheel whenthe bag urges the work to the grinder wheel.

UNITED STATES PATENT orricn CERTIFICATE OF EC'HUN Patent No. 3 648 415Dated March 14 1972 IventoflS) James G Bair It is certified that errorappears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patentarehereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1 line 20 after "work", first occurrence cancel "to the work".Column 2, line 8, "the clamps" should rea plate Signed and sealed this24th day of October 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents FORM 99-1050 USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 [1.5. GOVERNMENT PRINTlNGOFFICE I959 0*36 33k

1. An apparatus for feeding work to a grinder wheel which comprises: a.a grinder wheel; b. a work supporting plate positioned adjacent to thegrinder wheel and perpendicular to a grinding surface of the wheel; c. apneumatically inflatable bag positioned on the work supporting plate andspaced from an edge of the work supporting plate nearest the grinderwheel; d. means supplying air to inflate the bag; and e. meanspreventing the bag from moving away from the grinder wheel when the bagurges the work to the grinder wheel.
 2. An apparatus as recited in claim1 wherein the means preventing the bag from moving away from the grinderwheel includes a plate perpendicular to the supporting plate.
 3. Anapparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the means supplying air includesa control valve switch located below the work supporting plate.
 4. Anapparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the means preventing the bagfrom moving away from the grinder includes means adjustably securing theplate on the supporting plate.
 5. An apparatus for feeding work to agrinder wheel which comprises: a. a grinder wheel; b. a work supportingplate positioned adjacent to the grinder wheel and perpendicular to agrinding surface of the wheel; c. an inflatable bag positioned on thework supporting plate and spaced from an edge of the work supportingplate nearest the grinder wheel; d. means supplying inflating materialto inflate the bag; and e. means preventing the bag from moving awayfrom the grinder wheel when the bag urges the work to the grinder wheel.